Disaster Relief

In the aftermath of a disaster, people are left with damaged or destroyed homes, no place to work, no transportation, and destroyed or lost property. Many families must also deal with the greatest tragedy of all -- injured, missing or dead loved ones. FEMA can provide assistance in all of these areas, often in coordination with the Red Cross and other volunteer organizations.

The first step in disaster assistance is setting up care centers to provide for basic requirements of the victims -- food, water, shelter and medical care. Typically, information on the locations of care centers is broadcast on local TV and radio stations.

Once the basic needs are taken care of, FEMA can help people get back on their feet, find a place to live, and begin rebuilding. When the president declares that the area a major disaster, special aid programs become available. Victims can apply online or by phone.

FEMA provides three different types of assistance:

Housing

Either money to rent temporary housing, or a place to live in a government housing unit if there's nowhere to rent

Money for home repairs to cover damages that aren't paid for by insurance

Grant money to replace uninsured homes that are completely destroyed

An optional emergency housing site under construction in Long Beach, Mississippi

Assistance with medical treatment and prescriptions for disaster victims who suffer from medical conditions (whether they're related to the disaster or not)

Dental bills

Funeral expenses

Property

Storage, transport, and in some cases, replacement of personal property

Assistance with moving expenses

Rebuilding and repair of public infrastructure, including roads and bridges, sewer lines and public buildings

Debris removal

Next, we'll look at the structure of FEMA and the chain of command.

Applying for Aid

The application process starts with a phone call to 1-800-

621-FEMA (3362).

Applicants need their social security number, pre- and post-disaster address, a phone number, the name of their insurance company, their insurance account number, total annual income, and a description of the damage. Applicants who want FEMA money deposited directly into their bank accounts will need their bank account number and routing number.

Qualified applicants must live in a county that has been deemed eligible for assistance, and they must have damage that isn't covered by their insurance. You can find the full FEMA applicant's guide here.

Even in the digital age, newspapers continue, although they've had to change dramatically to survive. We'll look at all aspects of putting a newspaper together as well as unusual strategies newspapers are using to bring in revenue.

When we think about spies, we tend to think of men like Bond, James Bond. But women have a long history in espionage, taking on jobs as covert agents, couriers and code breakers. We've got a quiz on some sneaky ladies who sniffed out secrets for their countries.